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Regional Employment

Date of Publication: July 2016

Synopsis: Since the recession of 2008-2010, the Pittsburgh metropolitan statistical area had experienced quick job gains immediately following the recession, but since then employment growth has been sluggish[1]. The growth rate from 2010 to 2011 was 2.32 percent before dipping to 1.58 percent from 2011 to 2012. From 2012 to 2015 annual growth to the average number of monthly total private jobs has been less than one-half of a percent. Through the first six months of 2016 the Pittsburgh region has seen a decline to the number of average monthly total private jobs.

Data Snapshot: Average monthly total private sector employment for the Pittsburgh MSA (data in thousands not seasonally adjusted)[2] (2016 data through June).

Forecast: The weakness to the Pittsburgh area jobs market is spread throughout many different industry sectors. The only real strength has been in Leisure and Hospitality and in the Professional, Scientific, and Technical services sub sector but we know little about where those jobs are. Compounding the problem is the slowdown in the natural gas drilling industry (Mining and Logging) which had been primarily responsible for the initial growth out of the recession. We know that more policy work needs to be done to make Pennsylvania and the Pittsburgh area more business friendly through the reduction of onerous regulations and taxes that will improve the entire economy and add even more jobs.

[1] The Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) is comprised of the following counties:Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Washington, and Westmoreland.